Efficient visible light-based photocatalytic performance for tetracycline degradation by novel dual z-type ZnO nanorods /Bi2MoO6 /ZIF-67 heterostructure: Mechanism and water matrix investigation

Contamination of water with antibiotics poses environmental challenges. Photocatalytic semiconductor heterostructure technologies prove effective in water purification, particularly in eliminating pharmaceutical pollutants. Achieving high-quality heterostructures remains a considerable challenge. ZnO/Bi2MoO6/ZIF-67 photocatalyst was synthesized using the ambient temperature method and characterized through XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX, TEM, UV–vis DRS, TGA, PL, and BET analyses. Significant findings: The novel ZnO/Bi2MoO6/ZIF-67 photocatalyst's efficacy in degrading tetracycline under visible light was evaluated. The optimal composite molar ratio of ZnO: Bi2MoO6: ZIF-67 was found to be 1.53:1:0.4, exhibiting superior photocatalytic performance compared to ZnO, Bi2MoO6, and ZIF-67. With ZnO/Bi2MoO6/ZIF-67, the highest removal efficiency of tetracycline reached 90.3 % under ideal conditions (catalyst dose = 0.4 g/L, pH = 6.5, illumination time = 90 min, initial tetracycline concentration = 40 mg/L). The photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline follows first-order kinetics. The trapping experiments showed that OH• and •O2– species played a beneficial role in enhancing the photodegradation process.